From Seattle citizen to SAC J. E. Milnes with anti-hijacking suggestions
Document date 1 February 1972
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Id: Cooper-Part-21:052-052
Subject: Cooper Files: Cooper-Part-21:052-052 Document: Letter from Seattle citizen to SAC J. E. Milnes with anti-hijacking suggestions Id: Cooper-Part-21:052-052 Page: https://cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-21%3A052-052 What is wrong (title, date, type, which pages belong together, copies)? What does the scan show?
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FBI 164-81, Vault Part 21 p. 52 (DB Cooper-6303), Letter, dated 1 Feb 1972, serial 04-81-2132 (as read from the transcript) — cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-21%3A052-052
Mr. J.E. Milnes Special Agent in Charge Federal Bureau of Investigation 1015 Second Avenue Seattle, Wash. 98104
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February 1, 1972
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Re: Your letter of Nov. 29th, '71
Dear Mr. Milnes:
Thank you for expressing your appreciation of my observations. I see someone else had observations along the same line and put them to good use in a later hijacking. I fail to see, however, why the Air Force allowed the parachute bugging to be printed in the papers.
I hear now there is great alarm concerning the number of hijackings recently. Among other things, I'm sure another escape is feared. I have given this matter some thought, and therefore, I have another observation you might benefit from:
The only obvious deviation from the established pattern "Mr. Cooper" used that has not been tried is to actually jump from the plane with the hostage. If the hijacker has a small plane or car as an escape vehicle and a pre-determined jump-site, he could pull it off.
Parachutes can be designed to control the rate of descent via draft holes in the top center of the silk, I believe. Therefore, the way to foil the escape would be to radically vary the descent factor of the parachutes. ie: one drops quickly, one floats for a long time. This would separate the hijacker from his hostage and foil his drop; meanwhile helicopter teams could rescue the hostage, subdue the hijacker, while the Air Force could track the escape vehicle.
This idea would probably not work as smoothly as presented here, but it is a way to stop such an occurrence. You may rest assured I keep these ideas to myself, and for added credulence, I was granted a security clearance while employed at the Boeing Co.
Thank you for your time. I don't expect you to reply to this letter. Just keep it in your hip pocket, just in case.
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[signature redacted]
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Seattle, Washington [redacted]
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04 - 81 -2132
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SEARCHED INDEXED SERIALIZED [FILED] FEB 3 1972 FBI - SEATTLE
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DB Cooper-6303
Serials: 04-81-2132